UCLA Medical Center Workers Peeked At Celeb Medical Files

Los Angeles, CA (AHN) - A California Department of Public Health report released Monday said 127 UCLA Medical Center workers went through the medical files of celebrities from January 2004 to June 2006.

Despite a crackdown in April the report said three hospital staff members continued to look at the records of an unidentified celebrity, the report said. State regulators blamed UCLA management of UCLA for not implementing proper measures to stop the practice and keep medical records confidential.

Among the prominent patients whose files have been viewed despite lack of authority were Britney Spears, Farrah Fawcett and Maria Shriver.

Kathleen Billingsley, director of the Health Department's Center for Healthcare Quality, said she was disturbed by the report, the fifth since media reported the confidentiality breach. "What's startling to us is, as we get to a point where we feel we've addressed a specific complaint and a specific issue, we identify additional issues," Billingsley said.

One UCLA staff, administrative specialist Lawanda Jackson, viewed 60 celebrity records, according to the previous reports. Jackson used her supervisor's password to read the files from her work station. The 60 celebrities have been informed of the breach of their medical records, hospital officials said, while Jackson has been fired.

Of the 59 UCLA staff identified to medical record breach incidents, 24 were still employed when traced to the peeking. The report said the hospital plans to fire seven, suspend six for two to three weeks each, warn eight others and continue the investigation on three employees.

To address the problem, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger supported a bill that would penalize hospitals and medical staff for violating patients' privacy. The legislation, authored by Sen. Elaine Alquist and Assemblyman Dave Jones, will impose fines ranging from $1,000 to $250,000.

The governor, in a statement, said, "Californians have every right to expect their medical records to be safeguarded and protected, and I am alarmed about repeated violations of patient confidentiality and the potential harm to the citizens of this state."